


in your hands

by cafedanslanuit



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29790015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafedanslanuit/pseuds/cafedanslanuit
Summary: reiner reminisces about his return to marley not being what he dreamt aboutor reiner braun’s love language is physical touch
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	in your hands

**Author's Note:**

> the lyrics are from 'me and my husband' by mitski ~

_._

_._

_._

_and i am the idiot with the painted face in the corner taking up space_

.

.

.

reiner thought he would find peace once he returned to his homeland. it was the end of his teenage years, he wouldn’t have to pretend anymore. he would finally resign to the fist against his heart and would go back to the hand salute he had grown up with.

he quickly discovered it was nothing but wishful thinking.

the house that watched him train restlessly until he was chosen a warrior was nothing like the home he had yearned for while being a soldier. he wondered if it was because he had lost all his friends and comrades at paradis. was his house only a home if they were still around? were the empty rooms and corridors nothing more of a facade of his now forgotten childhood dream to have a family?

were his friends the family he had been craving?

part of reiner was revolted by the idea of being named vice chief. he had miserably failed and was only alive because of the sacrifice of the other warriors. his friends, his family, he wouldn’t be here without them. and to be awarded a distinction because of that only brought the taste of blood inside his mouth whenever someone referred to him by his new title.

.

.

.

_but when they walk in i am loved, i am loved_

_._

_._

_._

reiner watched you enter the examination room, softly humming to yourself as you placed his chart next to him on the stretcher he was sitting on. you smiled at him brightly and fixed your glasses.

“how are we feeling today, reiner?”

his name acquired a different meaning when it came from your lips. reiner had only had to ask you not to call them by his title once for them to nod and start referring to him by his first name.

“good,” he responded, almost on command. you cocked your head to the side, an indecipherable smile on your face.

“may i start?” you asked and he nodded.

your fingertips on his skin sent shivers all around his body. you gently pulled the skin under his eyes and closely looked at his hazel eyes. he could almost feel your breath against his face, both enticing and terrifying. once you were satisfied, you cupped his jaw and moved it gently. left and right, up and down. your fingers lowered to the back of his neck and started massaged every vertebrate with a featherlight touch. reiner felt your hands travel to his collarbones and shoulders, your thumb rubbing soothing circles on his skin.

reiner almost felt guilty for coming back much more frequently than he actually needed. he knew that, as a nurse, you were obligated to prioritize warriors over other patients and he was well aware he was taking advantage of his status just so he could feel your hands on his skin again as you examined him.

was it worth it? was having you between his legs as you innocently touched him to see if he was hurt somewhere worth the ill taste of blood that came with his title? reiner knew you would never be able to reach the part he was really hurting and for once he didn’t care.

in your hands he felt loved. in your hands he felt seen, your fingertips erasing every invisible scar that haunted him as they caressed his skin. your tired eyes and kind smile every time he waltzed inside your office felt the reward he didn’t deserve, the peace he wasn’t meant to have but only observe from afar.

reiner unconsciously leaned into your touch as your fingers ran down his biceps. with his eyes closed, he missed the way your lips curved into a smile as you kept on working on his tired muscles, your shift having ended long before you stepped into the examination room.

you recognized a broken soul when you saw one.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! c: you can find more on my [tumblr](https://cafedanslanuit.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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